BLS: July Unemployment rates at New Series Lows in Alabama, Arkansas, Maine and New Jersey

Unemployment rates were lower in July in 6 states, higher in 2 states, and stable in 42 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Three states had jobless rate decreases from a year earlier, 1 state had an increase, and 46 states and the District had little or no change. The national unemployment rate, 3.7 percent, was unchanged over the month and little changed from July 2018.... Vermont had the lowest unemployment rate in July, 2.1 percent. The rates in Alabama (3.3 percent), Arkansas (3.4 percent), Maine (3.0 percent), and New Jersey (3.3 percent) set new series lows. (All state series begin in 1976.) Alaska had the highest jobless rate, 6.3 percent.emphasis added

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This graph shows the number of states (and D.C.) with unemployment rates at or above certain levels since January 1976.

At the worst of the great recession, there were 11 states with an unemployment rate at or above 11% (red).

Currently only one state, Alaska, has an unemployment rate at or above 6% (dark blue). Note that Alaska is at the series low (since 1976). Two states and the D.C. have unemployment rates above 5%; Alaska and Mississippi.

A total of nine states are at a series low: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Vermont.